Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-02-21

asking GOu TO take the Kinks out OF
Jones" Before the Congregational ALI
ance he told the story, and said he had
received his answer. THAT God had
given him to understand that if the kinks
were taken out of Jones he wouldn't
amount to any more than | the man VIII.
asked for it do"
He don't bother about creedS, or doc
trines, or the dozens of things with which
many ministers preach their audiences to
sleep. He takes the simple texts and ex-
pounds them so a child can understand,
and applies them to daily living so the
dullest can see that he isn't talking about
your neighbor, but is talking to goa. Life
gets to mean something very real, very
earnest, when he points out the duties,
the privileges, the pitfalls. TRUFAX.
Boston, Mass, Feb. II, '87.
1t would he hard to imagine IA greater
contrast than that which is found by cOIn
pairing the sermons of Sam Jones with
those of the cultured, polished men who
occupy the pulpits OF many of the church
es of Boston. Jones goes straight foI
the very sins which too many ministers
seem 10 think must be endured because
they cant Just see their way clear to
cure them. Rum sellers-if any came
within sound of his voice-fared badly
and men h rent property for use as
saloons, were hit with the same stones.
"A We sow, SO shall We reap" was EN-
.li.,l .ECn., quiua ealn haaV 1PinE-
ers; sow beer, reap whiskey drinkers
sow whiskey and you will reap drunk
ards" were some of the shots ne sent
home. He told his hearers TO quit their
meanness; stop cheating; stop lying;
stop slandering their neighbors; to take
heed that at their very feet opened two
roads. One leads to the ways Of sin, the
other to right living. Again, don't
blame God because you keep on SHINING
You rebel nightly when prohibition is
talked Of, and say, ''no man shall dictate
to me what | am to do" You are inde-
pendent enough about all that sort of
business, and now that God has given
you the choice, has offered to bless you a
hundred fold, to give You peace of mind,
the protection of his love, the assurance
of IA home in heaven if you will only let
Him come into your heart and will choose
to walk upright, you whine because He
says ''The wages of sin is death and he
who believeth not shall be damned"
You say He made you so, you are not to
blame. The boy in Sunday school, who
oniH CGCnH na1a hin, - Stnplinu aud ha
grew the rest, . stated a truth. You grow
into right ways or wrong ways just as
you choose. +
Sam Small is a thoroughly educated
man, and has had many opportunities
for self culture which Jones has not.
But dissipation nearly proved his ruin.
He lived in Atlanta, Georgia, and might
have taken high rank among professional
men, but for his weakness. His druuken
sprees were simply past description. He
had sunk lower and lower and lower un-
til his friends abandoned all hope of his
ever redeeming himself. His health was
shattered, his home was-what words
can describe the place where a patient,
loving wife Qoving still, though the man
who promised before Goo to protect and
care for her, has dragged her down to
poverty, to disgrace, to despair) waits
day after dav, prays night after night,
hoping against hope, striving to keep
the wolf ION the door, and meeting i'm
return the maudlin protestations Of II
drunken man, or the curses and blows he
heaps upon her.
| think it was about two years ago, that
the news flew over Georgia like wildffre,
that Sam Small, the drunken Sam Small,
was converted to God. 1t was like this !:
He went to "A town in Georgia, where
Jones was holding meetings. He was on
that middle ground neither sober nor
drunk Fortunately Jones' sermon was
one which showed Small his own career,
like a picture from the hand of Il skillful
artist. He, for the first time, ''saw him
self as others saw him, and comprehend
ed the forceful truth of Gods declara-
ion: mo drunkard shall inherit the
kingdom of God"
Returning TO Atlanta, he felt his soul
stirred within him, and tried to drown
his conscience in more drink. The evil
in his heart fought for supremacy, but the
Gospel truth would not down at its bid
ding. At last he locke himself in his
room, and for four hours, on his knees,
he struggled. Then light came to his
sin-darkened soul, and he arose, ready to
commence his new life.
His wife WAS alarmed uhan n n canno
to her and told her that henceforth he
meant to live for Christ. The light i'm
his eyes, the joy in his face, compelled
belief in a change in the man; but was it
not insanity? This thought crowded itself
upon and almost crushed the long-suffer-
ing wife.
No" was she alone in thinking so. Some
said, ian unbalanced mine :" some, mad
with drink ;" others, "a fresh excitement.
which will soon spend itself" at won't
last long," was nearly every ones yer
dict. | well remember hearing il dis
cussed by some good Methodist brothers
in Columbus, Ga. j presume they prayed
that grace might be given Sam Small to
resist the temptations his old cronies
were prompt to put in his way, but they
certainly talked as II they had no idea
that God would hear their prayers, and |
reckon he didn't, hut he took care of
Sam Small all the same.
But Sam Small did not diIly daily with
the new way, balancing it in one hand,
while holding sin in the other, TO see if
he could not have a little of both. 1t was
no combination suit" he had started to
wear. He put on the whole armor Of
God, and at once set about his Masters
business. One of his first steps was to
ascertain how much and to whom he owed
money aud there Was in his family,
nothing but the bare necessities until he
had paid the ''uttermost farthing." Since
his conversion he has preached almost
constantly, and people crowd to listen to
him. The story Of his conversion, his
struggle with his appetite, is listened TO
with intense iutar.lf - Hwfraa t.uP-